Apparatus for preparing solutions of bisulphites



2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

(No Model.)

G. SGHENOK.

APPARATUS FOR PREPARING SOLUTIONS OF BISULPHITES. No. 395,082.

Patented Dec. 25, 1888.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. SCI-IENGK.

APPARATUS FOR PREPARING SOLUTIONS OF BISULPHITES. No. 395,082. Patented Dec. 25, 1888.

W 56 Gar-rd Schencfi:

N. PETERS PnowLilho mpher, Washinglou, D. c.

UNITED. STATES PATENT @rricn.

GARRET SCIIENCK, OF BANGOR, ASSIGN OR TO THE NATIONAL SUIiPI-IITE BOILER AND FIBER COllIPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

APPARATUS FOR PREPARING SQLUTIONS OF BISULPHITES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,082, dated December 25 1888.

Application filed January 14, 1888. Serial No. 260,726. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, GARRET SCHENCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bangor, in the county of Penobscot and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Preparing; Bisulphite Liquors for Treating Vegetable Fibers, of which the following is a specifica- 5 tion.

My invention. relates to the preparation of 1 liquors especially adapted for use in the treat- I ment of vegetable fibers for the production of j paper-stock; and it consists in such an arrangement of mechanical appliances that sul- 1 phurous anhydride gas may be continuously L produced and passed under pressure into tanks containing milk of lime, magnesia, or i other similar bases, by which it is absorbed, 1' the resulting mixture being the bisulphite liquors of any desired strength.

In the accompanying drawings, which represent my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a gas retort or oven 1 and its supply-hopper. Fig. 2 is a perspecl tive sectional view of details of the hopper; Fig. 3, a plan view of a setting of retorts and a condenser. Fig. I is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 5 a general view in elevation l of the entire apparatus. I11 Figs, .1 and 2 is illustrated in detail my improved retort A and its supply hopper or i magazine B, by means of which I am enabled to start the retort with a large charge of sulphur, which may be fed into it in regulated l quantities and without any suspension of the 7 operation until the charge is exhausted. The retort is made in any suitable shape and of any suitable material, not diitering in. these respects from those in common use for this purpose. A short pipe or elbow, (T, is secured to the top of the'retort near its mouth, the bend c of the elbowed part extending into the I retort and turning back to discharge toward the exit end thereof, as shown by dotted lines. This pipe may be attached to the retort by 1 means of a flange, c, and have at its top anl other flange, 0 to which to bolt the hopper, as shown; but the specific means for eonnection are immaterial. T he copper has a flange, b, at its upper edge, to which the removable coverB' is securely bolted when the device is in operation.

In the upper end of the elbow C is formed a seat, C, for the conical valve D, which regulates the flow of sulphur from the hopper. This valve is mounted on the end of a stem, d, which projects through a packing-gland, b, in the cover, and is provided with a de- & tachable hand-wheel, d. A cross-bar or girder,

1), extends across the hopper, its end resting in pockets 19 near the top of the hopper, and held therein when the cover is in place by the depending flange or ledge b on the latter. A central boss, (P, in this cross-bar is tapped for the reception of a screw-threaded enlargement, (Z on the valve stem, which, when turned by the hand-wheel, raises or lowers the valve on its seat.

WVhen the hopper is to be filled, the hand I I wheel is detached from the stem and the cover B removed from the top of the hopper, leaving the valve and its supporting cross-bar in place. The hopper is then filled with sulphur in powdered or lump form, and the cover and hand-wheel returned to and securely fastened in their respective places. The retort may be started by heating it from the outside in any suitable manner; but I prefer to start it by igniting sulphur inside of it. This will gradually heat the surrounding retort to a degree that will perpetuate the fire and keep up the vaporization of the charge which is let down from the hopper which becomes hot enough to liquefy the charge of sulphur therein.

From the foregoing description. it will be understood thata much larger charge of sulphur can be put in the hopper than it would be practicable to handle at once in the retort and that the retort can be satisfactorily operated for a much longer period on a single charge fed by degrees from the hopper than it could be if an entire charge were placed in the retort at the start.

In Figs. 3 and a illustrated in detail a bank or series of three retorts connected to a 9 triple condenser or series of cooling-pipes, and Fig. is a general view in elevation of my entire apparatus. I prefer to use three retorts, connecting each at its inlet or mouth end to a common compressed-air supply-pipe,

E, leading from an air-compressor, E, and controlling the supply of air to each by the valves 0. The back end of each retort is connected by two pipes, F, to a condenser, a valve, f, in each pipe closing the passages from the retorts when desired. The condenser consists of a triple series of cooling-pipes, G, united by a common inlet-header, G, toavhich the retort-pipes F are also connected, and at their exit ends by another header, G from which a pipe, 71, leads to the mixing-tanks H. \Vith the valves 9 in the inlet-header I can open two or more sections of the condenser for the passage of the gas from any retort, the valves g near the exit-header enabling me to close the unused sections of the condenser against back-pressure. Each section of the condenser consists oftwo vertical series of pipes, G, connected at their ends by manifolds 9 which in turn are connected to the supply and exit headers.

The diaphragms' 9 (shown in dotted lines .in Fig. 4) close the manifolds at intervals, and compel the gas to traverse back and forth through the pipes G, which I prefer to operate in pairs, as shown.

From the condenser the gas passes through the pipe h to the mixing-tanks 11, three of which are shown in Fig. 5. These tanks are filled with milk of lime, magnesia, or any suitable base, through which the sulphurous anhydride gas is passed, and with which it amalgamates by absorption, producing bisulphite liquors of the desired strength.

The supply-pipe h enters the bottom of each tank by a branch, 71., while a pipe, 7L2, from the top of the first two tanks connects again with the supplyqiipe, so that the tanks may be worked in series or singly, a proper manipulation of the valves h? directing the fiow through the tanks, as desired. Vents h on the last tank and at the end of the supply-pipe permit the escape of the gas, if any, after it has passed through the tanks and relieves pressure so that the air-compressor can force the gas through the apparatus.

The operation of my apparatus is as follows: The hoppers on the retorts being charged with sulphur, one or more of the retorts are started by igniting in them sulphur, as before described, This gradually heats the retort-s an d liquefies the sulphur in the hoppers, the valves of which are slightly opened to permit a graduated flow of the liquid into the retorts. The air-compressor is now started, and the valves 8 being opened a current of air is forced through the retorts, carrying with it the fumes of the burning sulphur to and through the condensers and from thence into the mixingtanks, where it is brought into contact with and forced through the liquors by the pressure of the compressor. Before the first rctort has exhausted the charge in its hopper the second or third one is made ready and started, while the first is recharged, so making the operation a continuous one; or all may be worked together, the compressor giving sufficient power to force the fumes through the liquor to be charged, thereby increasing the producing capacity of the mixing-tanks.

1. 'lhecombination of the air-comprcssor, the retort, the supply-hopper mounted thereon, the regulating-valve, and the condenser.

2. The combination of the aii.'-compressor, the retort, the hopper, the valve in the hopper, and the elbow-pipe supporting the hopper on its upper end, affording a seat for the valve projecting into the reinrt and bent in the direction of the blast.

3. The combination of a series of 'retorts having supply -hoppers connected at their mouths to compressed-air pipes in which are check-valves, and at their discharge ends by pipes also with check-valves, to a common offtake pipe.

4.. The combination of a series of retorts connected to a common olftake-pipe, two or more series of comlenser-pipes, the manifolds of eachserie; bein connected to the ofltakepipe, in which, between each series of condenser-pipes, is a check-valve.

5. The combination of several series of condenser-pipes, the manifolds of each series being united to common inlet and outlet headers, valves in the inlet-hcadm-s between each series of pipes, and valves in the exit-manifold of each pipe.

(i. The combination of the retorts with their supply-hoppers, the air-comprcssor, and the liq uidanixing tanks.

7. The combination of the air-conipressor, the retort, the liquid-mixing tanks charged with a suitable base, the pipe from the aircompressor, and retort through which sulphurous anhydride gas is forced into the tanks and into or through the liquid contents thereof to produce bisulphite liquors.

HARRIET SCllENCK.

\Vitncsses:

II. S. HOLBROOK, DANIEL BREEN. 

